Both mother and daughter were homeless. Zhuzhu still hasn't told her mother about her divorce. She couldn't afford to break the old woman's heart.
"Mom, I've booked a hotel room for you to stay. Please accept the keys," Zhuzhu said. She took her mother's hand and pushed the keys into her palm.
"My daughter, don't push yourself too hard. I have my own money too," Song Ping rejected it with a smile. She felt like a burden for her daughter. Now her daughter has to waste energy and time worrying over an old woman like her!
"Mom, I want to provide for you. I need to get back to work. These few days, just stay there and recuperate. The boss really treated you badly! He made you do a lot of hard work! You don't need to work anymore. From now on, I'll support this family of two!" Qin Zhuzhu's eyes became watery as she announced.
"XiaoZhu, mom can take care of herself. You should worry about yourself. Naturally mom will find another place to work at. You don't have to accompany me anymore. Go and accompany your husband," Song Ping felt guilty towards her daughter. What will happen if ZhuZhu and Xu Meng fight and quarrel because of her? Song Ping didn't want that to happen.
"Mom, I...."
"ZhuZhu, just focus on your life. Mom can take care of herself. I'll just stay at the hotel until I find another job," Song Ping said. She was unwilling to stay at the Xu mansion because she thought that she would make everyone think badly of Zhuzhu.
Zhuzhu nodded and left. She had no home to return to. Maybe she should book a room too and stay the night. Something fluttering in the wind caught her eyes. It was a poster for hiring waitresses and bartenders for a company.
Heaven must have been on her side! She immediately dialed the number on the poster. She answered a few questions and was hired right on spot as the restaurant needed part timers to fill in.
"Tomorrow, come on time. I'll give you your uniform," the supervisor said.
The next morning, Zhuzhu strode into the restaurant to take up her position. She was an hour early.
"You're early. What's your name again?" The supervisor eyed her with praise. She was not like those girls who spent so much time chatting on their phones with friends or boyfriends or beautifying. She seemed like a hardworking person, Zhang Lan, the supervisor thought.
"I'm Qin Zhuzhu. But you can call me Pearl," Zhuzhu said. Pearl was the nickname her grandfather gave her.
"Come this way. I'll show you how to make drinks and serve the customers. Remember to carry yourself with grace. The customers that dine in our restaurant are all from the top class of Shengjing. They're the elite and powerful so you need to be careful with your actions and words when you talk with them," Zhang Lan said. Qin Zhuzhu nodded.
The elite of Shengjing? Isn't the Xu family counted as one of them? Oh god! Does that mean that the chances of meeting that disgusting bitchy Xu sisters and jerk ex husband was huge?! Qin Zhuzhu felt like she had put herself in a predicament. She can only wish that they don't visit this restaurant.
"Tomorrow there will be an event. It's a very important event. I want you to serve the guests there carefully and diligently. You'll get a bonus if you work hard," Zhang Lan said.
Zhuzhu's eyes brightened when she heard the word bonus.
"In addition, one of the richest families in Shengjing, the Shentu family will be the host. You have to carry yourself with caution and grace when you serve them, especially Shentu Jing," Zhang Lan instructed.
"Shentu Jing? Why?" Qin Zhuzhu found this name familiar. But where did she hear this name? Why did Zhang Lan look pale when she mentioned this name?
"Just be careful when Mr. Shentu is around. He's not like the rest. He can decide who lives and who dies in Shengjing," Zhang Lan's voice quivered.
Qin Zhuzhu wondered who exactly was this Shentu Jing. Why was everyone so scared of him?
******
"Boss, it's in that restaurant," a man said, speaking into a comm.
"Hey, Ah Xian, how is the boss going to retrieve the object from the restaurant? There are so many people!" A younger man elbowed his friend. They were seated in a car with tinted black windows.
"Don't worry. Boss has his ways," the first man said. His dark hair and dark glasses, leather jacket and pants made him look like a gangster out of a Hong Kong movie.
"Give that to me!" The first man grabbed the younger man's bag of chips.
"Hey! I bought that with my money!" The younger man grumbled.
"You're not supposed to be eating on the job," he said.
"Hmph! Confiscating my chips. You probably keep it for yourself!" The younger man grumbled and pouted. He tried to grab the chips from his friend but failed.
"Han Juexian! You're robbing me in daylight!" The younger man cried, feeling aggrieved as he watched Han Juexian pop the chips into his mouth with a smirk.
"Babies are not allowed to eat on a mission," Han Juexian said coolly.
"I'm not a baby! I'm seventeen years old this year!" Ding Yu said.
"You have baby cheeks and you are dumb like one. So it makes you a baby," Han Juexian pinched Ding Yu's cheeks.
Ding Yu swatted his hands away.
"This is just some baby fat," Ding Yu grumbled under his breath.
"Boss, when will we carry out our mission?" The first man asked.
Far from them, a man stood on the balcony, looking out over the huge city of Shengjing.
His side profile was stunningly beautiful. His strong angular jaws were caught in the sunlight, making him look as if Prince of Lanling had descended on Earth. His peach blossom eyes were mesmerizing to look at, sharp and chilly like the winter wind that cuts through Tian Huang Peak mountains. He narrowed his eyes as he clutched onto a piece of broken jade.
"Tomorrow, when the Tianjin Tech event is running," the man's Adam Apple bobbed up and down seductively as he spoke.